DAY 12 JUNE 6 D DAY, AMSTERDAM

D DAY REMBRANCE 70 YEARS LATER....
Almost non existent here.    Not even on local TV...just the Frenchies. CNN and BBC covered it.  The Dutch do celebrate LIBERATION DAY on May 5th to mark the end of the occupation by Nazi Germany during WWII.  Please tell me this did not go unnoticed by our young people in the US.

            TRAM

Pathetic to see, but after the $60 cab ride,  Boca and Bubs did figure out how to use it...way faster and more fun than a taxi to take you from point a to point b.  Central Station please- Bubs was last here in 1967 and moi in 1972.  So we had to check it out...yup still huge and busy.  Hard to believe Boca traveled Europe with a "book bag" to hold her clothes for a 3 month summer stint- 2 pair of jeans, a pair of "cut-off's", a couple of shirts, sandals, wore the clogs, a bath suit...no bra, surely a couple of pair of underwear (back then they were small) and that was it.  Lots of train rides with her college beau- youth hostel to youth hostel.



Hey honey, is that our stop?
















  The Central Station is the apex of the canals- 5 major canal rings.  And we still got lost ?  But what the hey- the tram always loops back so how lost can we get? We just stayed on till we looped back to the starting spot.

















Broom Hilda (surely she is from the former East  Germany) was no help.  I think she said  something to the effect...we are closing YOU HAVE TO GET OFF THE TRAM YOU DUMCOFFS!

It's the getting on and off the tram that is treacherous....with Bubba's wobbly knees and tram drivers that take no prisoners...it can get dicey.  Then scooting across the street, darting between the trams, trains and buses, never mind the bikes and motorcycles.  It is a circus.





Van Gogh MUSEUM

Ok, Boca, time for the Van.

The Van is a fabulous art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent and some of his contemporaries. The museum was founded in 1973 and ongoing expansion  construction was evident.


  Over 1.5 million folks visit it making it the most visited museum in Amster- more than the Riks?  Remember back in 1991 20 paintings were stolen from the museum- his earliest works....although 30 mins later the paintings were found in an abandoned car.  Not nice 2 museum guards- only 7 year sentences.  And 2 more stolen in 2002...not recovered.  Have ya thought about beefin up the security?




Note to self....learn how to rotate pictures on I Pad.















Boca's favorite is Van's self portrait...very cool with those brush strokes my man.

Boca then realized she double booked the Van and the Anne Frank at the same time so she had to make friends with the Dutch Boy Gonsamacher- in charge of not making exceptions.  Boca praised his flowers, flattering his excellent taste in flowers and vests. Ok Mrs. Collins, I will sneak you back in tonight...besides we have a party here on Friday nights and word has it this is your specialty.  Indeed. Thank you Hansandfrans- see ya later.  And here Boca was so proud of her on line ticket purchasing.   Pleep fired her from future ticket purchases, as we raced over to the Anne Frank House/Museum.







ANNE FRANK:  A CHILD'S VOICE

We race over to the Anne Frank and see the line around the building and down the street.  Bub says,  thank goodness you bought our tickets in advance Boca- as you know Bubba doesn't do lines.  Wheww.  Did something right.  Come right in...oh no no no.  Lady, your tour is tomorrow not today.  You have paid for a special program...bla bla.   After racing across town to get here "on time" we are sweating up a storm and as usual Bub needs to make a pit stop, I am certain he growled.  Boca then pleads with the young lady that it would be prudent to let us in...after seeing Bubs hop from foot to foot and Pleep having a monkey fit she agreed.  Thank you so much.  Excellent choice young lady.  Note to self:  get a proper tour guide who does all this stuff for us properly.  On to the museum....



This young girl is one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust.  Her wartime diary "The Diary of a Young Girl" has been read the world over.  While she was born in Frankfurt, Germany, she lived most of her life in Amsterdam.








Ann gained international fame posthumously after her diary was published- documenting her experiences hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in WWII.

As persecutions of the Jewish populations increased in 1942 the family went into hiding in some concealed rooms in the building where Anne's father worked.  The museum is the house (renovated of course)where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis.  A very moving experience.  After 2 years, the family and friends were betrayed and transported to concentration camps....where she died at Bergen-Belsen of typhus in 1944.

And there displayed in Hollywood glory...Shelly  Winters said if she won an academy award for her role in the Ann Frank movie she would give it to Ann's father and the museum.  Well done Ms. Winters.  A definite must see when in Amster...get your tickets in advance and READ THE DATE AND TIME!












BACK ON THE SWEET STREETS


Lot's of goodies at every turn....always putting a smile on Bubba's face.











VAN GOGH ROCKS ON FRIDAY NIGHTS!
They showed  a very cool digital art show on the walls in the lobby along side the bar they set up for party time.  Specialty "Strawberry Mohitos".  The light show became more intriguing as the night went on.  And a good time was had by all.  Cleaver use of the museum, on Friday nights.  And thanks again Hansandfranz- loving it!













Back at the hotel,  Boca arrived to a not so clean room.  Oh no, Bubs mumbled.  After being told there is no manager on weekends, Boca informed the non manager and she brought up ice-cream for Bubba.  The super Sundae soothed any issue Bubba never had.  Quite cleaver those Dutch.